Boca proved why it's Latin America's primary power

	With players such as captain Martín Palermo, Boca Juniors' big-game experience was too much for opponents to overcome. AP
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If there was any question who the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere is, Boca Juniors provided an empathic answer on Wednesday. Boca's stunning 5-0 aggregate victory over Grêmio in the final of the Copa Libertadores was the most one-sided score line in the history of Latin America's ultimate club competition.

Boca also held the two previous series records, defeating Deportivo Cali 4-0 in 1978, and trouncing Santos 5-1 in 2003. But its sixth Libertadores consecration was probably its greatest because it practically gave its opponents no chance after the first-leg result.

Its emphatic 3-0 victory over Grêmio in Buenos Aires last week was simply sensational, especially considering it came against a difficult side that had dispatched Brazilian powers São Paulo and Santos en route to the final.

Boca showed off why it's so highly rated in South America with an exciting attacking style of play that ripped open opposing defenses time and time again. Yes, los Xeneizes struggled away from home in the group stage with two defeats, but this was mainly because they reserved key players for decisive "derby" matches in the Argentine league.

In the knockout rounds, manager Miguel Ángel Russo always went with his strongest 11, and that played dividends against difficult opponents. Boca proved its big-match experience, eliminating Vélez Sársfield, Libertad, Cúcuta Deportivo and Grêmio.

Even though Boca came into the final series against Grêmio as the overwhelming favorite, no one would have expected it to completely trample the two-time former Libertadores champions. After Boca's 2-0 victory in the deciding game on Wednesday night in Porto Alegre, star striker Martín Palermo -- who missed a spot-kick in the final moments of the match -- chalked up the team's success to "experience."

That's dead on. The big-game familiarity of former Libertadores winners such as Palermo, Juan Román Riquelme, Clemente Rodríguez, Sebastián Battaglia, Sergio Orteman and Hugo Ibarra was essential in helping Boca turn around unfavorable results during its run. Those setbacks include a 1-1 home draw with Libertad in the quarterfinals and a 3-1 loss at Cúcuta in the semis.

In the return leg against Cúcuta, the solid Colombians couldn't handle Boca's comfort level with the pressure. That enabled the Argentines to cruise to a comfortable 3-0 victory, thanks to the steady hand of Riquelme. The former Argentine national-team captain was without a doubt Boca's main inspiration, scoring a career-high eight goals in the competition, including three in the finals.

Riquelme (who is still under contract with Spain's Villarreal) returned to Argentine soccer on loan in an attempt to bring Boca back to international glory, and did exactly that. His Libertadores campaign was arguably the best stretch of his entire career, and he demonstrated once again that Boca provides him with an environment that allows him to excel.

During the finals, Riquelme turned on the style and earned a much-deserved MVP award. In the first leg, he scored on crucial free kick -- his second in successive matches -- and played a part in Boca's other two goals.

In the second leg, he again showed his undisputed class with some tricky moves before ensuring Boca's victory with two goals, including an outstanding missile from the edge of the area that ended up in the angle of Grêmio keeper Sebastián Saja's right post.

The downside for Boca is that Riquelme already confirmed that it was his last match for the club before returning to Europe (Villarreal plans to sell him). Rodríguez and Ibarra will follow the same path, while Daniel Díaz, Morel Rodríguez and Rodrigo Palacio will also soon be on their way.

That means Boca will go through a rebuilding process next season, and should have a relatively new-look side when it participates in December's Club World Cup in Japan, where the team is most likely to meet European champion AC Milan in the final. But for now, Boca is thinking about its latest victory, a title that had been its main obsession since last winning it in 2003.

Boca not only continues to make history, but also demonstrates that exciting soccer can still be played in the modern game. The champs fully deserved their sixth Libertadores crown, proving superior to each team they came across. The value of their experience was important in pushing them across the finish line, and even though they'll get a facelift next season, you can be certain they'll remain at the top.